The Chairman of the Traditional Medicine Practice Council (TMPC) and National President of the Ghana Federation of Traditional Medicine Practitioners Associations (GHAFTRAM), Samuel Ato Duncan, has unveiled a new strategic roadmap to professionalize Ghana’s traditional and alternative medicine sector. Speaking at a stakeholder meeting on September 4, 2025, Duncan outlined a four-pillar plan aimed at addressing existing challenges and leveraging the industry’s significant potential for national development.
He acknowledged the sector’s vital role in Ghana’s healthcare system, noting that over 70% of the population relies on traditional practitioners. He highlighted its contributions to job creation, rural development, and cultural preservation, stating it has the potential to position Ghana as a leader in integrative health tourism in West Africa.
Despite these opportunities, Duncan stressed that the industry faces considerable challenges, including the need to ensure quality, safeguard safety, protect biodiversity, and professionalize practices. He noted that while significant strides have been made with the establishment of TMPC’s licensing protocols and partnerships with the Food and Drugs Authority (FDA) and Ghana Standards Authority (GSA), gaps remain in infrastructure, enforcement, and market development.
To address these issues, the new roadmap will focus on four key areas:
Pillar 1: Regulation and Professionalization This pillar includes a nationwide registration audit to identify and remove unqualified practitioners, the deployment of mobile inspection teams to enforce good manufacturing practices, and the establishment of a continuous professional development scheme.
Pillar 2: Research, Innovation, and Knowledge Sharing Plans include launching an annual research symposium with Ghanaian universities and creating an innovation fund to support promising research and development proposals from practitioners.
Pillar 3: Value-Chain Development and Market Expansion The council will collaborate with the Ministry of Trade & Industry to support micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) in the sector, negotiate preferential trade agreements within the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and beyond, and develop a “Ghana Traditional Medicine” quality seal with traceability systems to build consumer trust.
Pillar 4: Advocacy, Partnership, and Public Education This pillar will focus on engaging Parliament to fast-track amendments to the Traditional and Alternative Medicine Bill, fostering public-private partnerships for community outreach, and launching a media campaign to promote the safe use of registered traditional medicines.
The chairman and president concluded by calling for unity and collaboration from all stakeholders to achieve these goals. He urged associations and practitioners to commit to the registration audit, share data, and mobilize their local chapters to support advocacy efforts.
“Our industry has the power to generate employment, foster rural prosperity, strengthen public health resilience, and earn foreign exchange,” he stated, adding that this collective effort would contribute meaningfully to the government’s agenda for a diversified and inclusive economy.
Story By: Eugenia Ewoenam Osei
